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SINGAPORE – People who choose not to receive the Covid-19 vaccine will not need a change of duties in their workplaces, unless there is a resurgence in the number of local cases, the health minister said on Monday (January 4) , Gan Kim Yong. .
I was responding to Mr. Yip Hon Weng (Yio Chu Kang), who had asked if the scope of work of those who are not vaccinated would be reviewed to reduce exposure to the virus.
All workers should continue to take necessary precautions, such as wearing masks and, when necessary, donning personal protective equipment and undergoing routine scheduled tests, Gan added.
He noted that there are certain groups of employees, such as researchers or laboratory personnel, who may be working directly with the Covid-19 virus or face a high risk of exposure to infected people.
The Health and Labor ministries are reviewing the issue of vaccinating workers in such work settings and will provide more advice later, he said.
In his ministerial statement on Singapore’s response to the pandemic, Mr. Gan said that the Ministry of Health (MOH) will also introduce a financial assistance program for vaccine injuries.
This scheme will support those suffering a serious adverse event that is considered related to the Covid-19 vaccines administered in Singapore.
“While we hope that few will need this, the program will give peace of mind to those who get vaccinated,” he said. “More details on the program will be provided in due course.”
Gan said the Health Sciences Authority, as well as a committee of independent experts appointed by his ministry, have studied the data on potential side effects caused by the Covid-19 vaccine.
The data include information from clinical trials, as well as actual experience from countries where vaccination efforts are underway.
“They have taken this into account in their evaluation before granting authorization or making a recommendation on the use of Covid-19 vaccines,” he said.
People who receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine may experience side effects such as injection site pain, fatigue, fever, muscle aches or headaches.
Authorities have recommended that people with known severe allergies not get vaccinated.
People will also be observed on site for 30 minutes after vaccination so that any serious allergic reaction, such as anaphylaxis, can be detected and treated immediately.
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